Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) refers to a collection of eye problems associated with computer use, and about three-quarters of computer users have it. Conservative estimates indicate that over $2 billion is currently spent on examinations and special eyewear for CVS treatment. The most common symptoms of CVS include: eyestrain or eye fatigue, dry eyes, burning eyes, sensitivity to light, and blurred vision. Non-ocular symptoms include headaches, pain in the shoulders, neck, or back. As diverse as the symptoms are, they may be related and can be subdivided into to three potential pathophysiological causes: 1) Ocular Surface Mechanisms 2) Accommodative Mechanisms 3) Extra-Ocular Mechanisms There is a significant gap in the fund of knowledge regarding the diagnosis of this disease. In the near-term, we plan to focus on the ocular surface category of disorders as a cause of CVS, identify clinical conditions associated with this syndrome and develop a treatment that addresses this cause. In phase 1, we propose to: Clinically define CVS by observing the incidence of ocular surface abnormalities in symptomatic subjects and compare them with an age and sex matched non-symptomatic control population Develop specialized micro-environment glasses to combat CVS symptoms Study the efficacy of micro-environment glasses in symptomatic and control populations Critically evaluate viability of CVS micro-environment glasses as a commercial product using both statistical methods and subjective questionnaires.
Thesaurus Terms: biomedical equipment development, computer, portable biomedical equipment, vision aid, vision disorder age difference, clinical biomedical equipment, gender difference, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, occupational health /safety, syndrome, visual photosensitivity, work site bioengineering /biomedical engineering, clinical research, data collection methodology /evaluation, eye disorder diagnosis, human subject, questionnaire
